Next CAP & Cashflow Pressures Set to Dominate Ploughing

Speaking ahead of day one of the Ploughing Championships in Screggan, Tullamore, IFA President Francie Gorman said the main focus over the next three days must be the damaging implications of the current CAP reform proposals and the need for the Government to make fuel and fertiliser payments.

“From the Taoiseach to the Tánaiste who are scheduled to visit tomorrow, and the EU Commissioner Christophe Hansen who is due on Thursday, the message be the same: the budget issue has to be resolved. As things stand, Ireland is set to lose over €2.5bn from our CAP budget, which would mean a cut of 24%,” he said.

“We will be raising this at every opportunity with politicians who come to visit the IFA stand. Irrespective of the other pressures that exist in framing the next overall EU budget known as the Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF), food security has to remain front and centre,” Francie Gorman said.

Mr Gorman said IFA will also be using the event to raise our key priorities in the upcoming Budget and the cashflow challenges on farms due to the crisis in the Middle East. 

“Given how high fuel prices are, the Government should double the fuel payment made earlier this year get it out to farmers and contractors as a matter of urgency,” he said. 

“The EU has also provided €15m for fertiliser supports with a facility for Member States to top this up by 200% to €45m. This should be paid to farmers as a top priority,” he said. 

“I would encourage all farmers to visit the IFA CAP Hub (www.ifa.ie/cap); come along to the remaining CAP regional meetings; and inform themselves of the scale of the proposed cuts, and how IFA is campaigning to protect Irish family farms. And then to engage with their local, national and European political representatives that it simply isn’t good enough. More CAP funding is needed,” he said.